Andromeda Black's Secret Admirer
by Komaki Nakao
Summary: Will Andromeda find out who her secret admirer is before Valentine's Day?
1. Chapter 1

_I hope you enjoy the roses, Andromeda.  
I ordered them in pink, because I know that's your favorite color._

_From,  
Your secret admirer._

Andromeda Black read the note several times while she brushed her long, dark brown hair. The other girls in her dormitory had giggled and squealed when they saw the roses; a dozen perfect pink blooms set in a white porcelain vase. Their laughter had woke her up – about an hour earlier than she would have liked – and now here she was, left to ponder the strange gift while the other girls went down for breakfast.

"They really are beautiful," Andromeda sighed, allowing the tip of her finger to touch one of the petals. They were soft, almost as soft as her own skin. "I wonder who sent them…"

At first, Andromeda thought they might be from her ex-boyfriend, Hector Mulciber, whom had broken up with her several days earlier. It had been a terrible fight, right in the middle of the Slytherin common room. She had called him out for a particularly nasty prank he and his friends had played on Ted Tonks – a muggle-born wizard who had "cheated" him out of Head Boy. He was also convinced that Andromeda was having some sort of affair with him; as Head Girl, she had been spending a lot of time with the weirdo since the school year had started.

It was absurd, of course; Ted was about as far from her type as anyone could possibly be. The two were acquaintances, at best. Yet, when Andromeda had jumped to the poor boy's defense, it had only confirmed Mulciber's suspicions, and he immediately dumped her. For the first several days, Andromeda had walked the castle in heartbroken tears – no one likes to be dumped the week before Valentine's Day – but after a while, she realized that she was better off without him. Besides, it was unbecoming of a Black to mope around like that. As a member of an important family, Andromeda couldn't help but feel as if it were her duty to set an example for the other students.

Were these roses Hector's attempt at an apology?

_Probably not,_ Andromeda thought as she placed her freshly polished Head Girl badge on her robes. _He never cared enough about me to ask what my favorite color was. And besides, he would never do something even remotely romantic._

"That being said – or thought, rather – this might not even be a romantic gesture," Andromeda said to herself, reading the card over again. "A secret admirer could mean anything, really… These could even be from my sister…"

Andromeda was still pondering over this, mouthing her thoughts as she entered the Great Hall for breakfast. It was a Sunday, so the students were buzzing about in a carefree manner, running from table to table to chat with their friends.

"Talking to yourself?" Ted Tonks asked as he approached her, a big, cheesy smile smeared across his acne-covered face. Ted was tall, several heads taller than Andromeda, and was so skinny that she thought a gust of wind could easily blow him away. He had dull, blond hair that was in desperate need of a cutting, and beautiful hazel eyes that were hidden by his glasses, which sat on his nose at an awkward angle.

"I was not talking to myself," Andromeda said, feeling her face grow red as she scrambled for an explanation. "I was just… Good morning, Ted. How are you today?"

"I'm alright," he shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. She noticed that his Head Boy badge was dirty and smudged. Didn't that boy have any pride in himself?

She gulped, "How is your… um…"

"Oh, that was no big deal, really," Ted assured her. "I've been hung up by my underwear loads of times before, and that probably won't be the last time it happens, either."

Andromeda couldn't help but giggle; she always enjoyed his deadpan humor, "But… All those people saw… I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize!" he said frantically. "R-really! You didn't do anything! I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. Mulciber wouldn't have broken up with you if it weren't for me."

"Oh, don't worry about that git," Andromeda said, waving it off. "I don't know why I didn't dump him ages ago."

Ted's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Really?"

She nodded, "Really. I'm sure I can do better."

"R-right," he said, adjusting his glasses. This only managed to put them in a more awkward position on his face, but Ted didn't seem to notice. "So… What else is new?"

Andromeda smirked, "I have a secret admirer."

"Oh, really?" Ted said, his own smile returning. "Do you know who it is?"

"I have no idea," Andromeda confessed. "But, that's why it's a secret, isn't it?"

He nodded, "Yes, I suppose-"

"Yo, Tonks!" Arthur Weasley greeted as he advanced on the duo, shaking hands with his friend. He was like a slightly shorter, redheaded version of Ted, complete with glasses and unkempt hair.

"Hey, Art," Ted said, looking only slightly pleased to see him.

Andromeda cleared her throat, "Good morning, Arthur."

"Oh, Andromeda," the redhead said, smiling nervously at her. The two were actually relatives, though Arthur's mother had been disowned for marrying a blood traitor, Septimus Weasley. Andromeda, unlike her sisters, always tried to be polite to Arthur despite all that, though he always seemed just as anxious around her no matter what she did or said.

"Andromeda was just telling me about her secret admirer," Ted said, in an awkward attempt to fix the tension. "Isn't that right?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes," she said. "They left me a vase of roses this morning."

"That's really… er, romantic," Arthur said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, I think I have an idea!"

"What's that?" Ted asked eagerly.

"Why don't you come to our movie night, Andromeda?" Arthur asked, smiling at her for the first time she could ever remember. "Professor Flitwick said we could set up the projector in his office, it's going to be really neat."

"Yeah, you should come!" Ted agreed. "Muggle movies are really cool; I bet you'd get a kick out of it!"

"Um… I don't know if I'll have the time… homework, you know," she said, fretfully tugging at her long hair. This wasn't really the problem, Andromeda knew; she always got all of her work done with time to spare. It was that, while she tried to be a _little_ open-minded, something like watching muggle movies (whatever that was) with a bunch of muggle-borns and blood traitors was the first step on the path to getting blasted off of the Black family tree. That was the _last_ thing Andromeda wanted.

"Yes, of course you're busy," Ted said, looking quite deflated. "We shouldn't have asked you at the last minute."

"But if you change your mind, you should still stop by," Arthur insisted. "It starts at seven thirty, in the Charms room."

"A-alright, I'll see what I can do," Andromeda lied. "Thanks for inviting me."

A pair of first years darted past them, one chasing the other so wrathfully that he nearly knocked poor Ted Tonks right over. Andromeda wasn't sure who the second boy was, but the one being pursued was one of her favorite cousins; Sirius Black.

"Sirius, get back here!" the other boy hollered after him. "Give me back my glasses!"

_Sirius knows my favorite color is pink,_ Andromeda thought suddenly. _And he knows how upset I was about the breakup. Maybe he sent those roses to cheer me up?_

"Wow, they sure are lively," Arthur said, in admiration rather than rage.

Ted sighed, "Ah, the simple joys of youth."

"I'll talk to the two of you later," Andromeda said, waving goodbye to the two nerds before she followed after the boys. She joined them at the Gryffindor table, where it seemed that the boy who had been running after Sirius had retrieved his glasses. The rest of their friends were still laughing about the incident.

"That wasn't funny," he was saying to them. "You guys know I can't see without my glasses!"

"Hello, Sirius," Andromeda said, placing a loving hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Andromeda!" he said, sounding overjoyed for a fraction of a second. Then, he seemed to remember that he was in the company of friends, and his enthusiasm quickly melted away. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you," Andromeda said pleasantly. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

"She's a Slytherin," the boy with the glasses spat, glaring up at Andromeda in a hateful way. She had been Head Girl for almost six months, and no one had dared speak to her like that since she had taken up the post. If she hadn't been so shocked, she might have slapped him across his cheeky little face.

"It's alright; she's my cousin," Sirius said, as if that somehow made everything okay. "I guess you can sit, if you want."

"Thank you," Andromeda said, taking her seat next to him, at the edge of the table. She folded her hands in her lap, waiting patiently to be introduced.

"Oh, right…" Sirius said, his cheeks turning an adorable red hue. "These are my friends; James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," she said, offering the boys a polite smile.

"You're Head Girl, right?" the boy with light brown hair - Lupin – asked, sounding just a tad suspicious.

Andromeda nodded proudly, "Yup."

"Wow," Pettigrew gaped. "Why didn't you tell us your cousin was Head Girl, Sirius?"

He snorted, leaning back in his chair, "What? It's not like she's important or something."

Andromeda laughed, covering her mouth with her delicate hand, "Sirius, can I as you a question?"

"Hmm?" he grunted, looking over at her with a cocked eyebrow.

"Did you send a vase of pink roses up to my room this morning?" she asked.

He looked puzzled, "No. Why?"

She sighed; so she hadn't solved the mystery, after all. "Oh, no reason. Someone sent them to me, but there wasn't a name on the card. I thought maybe you'd sent them."

"It wasn't me," he repeated, very sternly this time. "Sorry."

_Drat,_ Andromeda thought, snapping her fingers in frustration. _Then who could it be?_


	2. Chapter 2

After spending a good portion of the day – a far larger portion than she had intended – playing Gobstones with Sirius and his friends, Andromeda returned to her dormitory. She had every intention of spending her evening curled up with her homework, but instantly became distracted the second she entered the room.

There were two animals sitting on her bed. One she recognized right away; her mother's owl, Alby. As always, the Great Gray Owl had a presence in the room; he was so large that he could have easily engulfed the tiny, calico kitten that was playing with his tail feathers. Alby was doing his best to ignore the pest, and his eyes hung half-opened, in a way that made him look extremely agitated.

The scene was so endearing that Andromeda couldn't help but smile. She sat down on the edge of the bed, giving Alby an affectionate pat on the head while she examined the kitten. At first, she thought it might belong to one of the other girls, but then she noticed the bright red bow around its neck. Attached to the bow was another card:

_A few months ago, you told me your cat died.  
So I got you another one. She's cute; almost as cute as you are.  
You can name her whatever you like._

_From,  
Your Secret Admirer_

"Awww…" Andromeda cooed, scratching the kitten behind the ears. "You are pretty cute, aren't you?"

At first, Andromeda considered this a significant clue; a huge leap in discovering who this mysterious secret admirer was. Then she remembered that when her beloved cat Dexter had passed away – after over ten years of companionship – she had cried for days. Almost everyone she knew would know about that.

_So my admirer is someone I know,_ she thought. _That doesn't narrow it down much at all._

Alby gently nipped at her sleeve, begging for her to relieve to relieve him of his burden, so he could return home. She sighed, detaching the red envelope from his large foot. The bird took off almost instantly, his large wingspan barely clearing the window.

Andromeda gulped when she realized why; he had been carrying a Howler. Poor Alby knew exactly what was coming; Druella Black was somewhat famous for sending her daughters Howlers when she was displeased with them.

She had to open it, she knew. A few years ago, when her older sister Bellatrix had received a Howler, the eldest Black sister hid the nasty envelope in her wardrobe. After a couple of days, the Howler exploded into a fit of rage, taking the wardrobe down with it.

Andromeda sighed, biting her tongue as she slowly peeled the letter open-

"_Andromeda Black, sometimes I can hardly believe you_!" the envelope screamed at her, floating so close to her face that Andromeda felt like she would go cross-eyed if she looked at it for too long. "_Mulciber was a good match! I can't imagine how you screwed that up for yourself, but I hope you plan on apologizing for whatever it is you did! Or if you're too proud for that, you need to start looking for someone else; unless you want your father and I to find a man for you! Gaah! Sometimes I wonder if you _want_ to end up an old maid!"_

Once the verbal-bombardment was finished, the envelope dissolved into ashes, creating a neat little pile on her mattress. The kitten was trembling with fright.

"There, it's over now," Andromeda whispered, pulling the frightened creature into her lap. She cringed when it dug its claws into her skirt.

"Did I hear Mum in here, or am I going crazy?" Narcissa asked as she poked her head into the room. Unlike most members of the Black family, Narcissa's hair was pale blond, almost as translucent as her skin. Andromeda had always been jealous of her sister's eyes; they were the most dazzling shade of blue she had ever seen. Narcissa could send shivers down someone's spine with just a glance.

"Why can't it be both?" Andromeda teased, winking at her younger sister. "But really; Mum isn't in here. She just sent me a Howler."

Narcissa winced, knowing what that experience was like. "What did you do to provoke that?"

"She was upset that Hector and I broke up," Andromeda sighed. "She said that she wants me to patch things up with him."

"Well, you were going to anyway, right?" Narcissa asked, finally stepping into the room.

"I don't think so," Andromeda said, pulling the kitten off of her lap when she couldn't take the sting of her claws for another second.

Narcissa sat down next to her, "Do you want to know what I think?"

Andromeda smiled, "Even if I didn't, I get the feeling that you'd tell me anyway."

"Of course I would," said Narcissa. "That's just my personality."

"Alright," Andromeda laughed. "Tell me what you think, Cissy."

"I think you should at least _consider_ working things out with Mulciber," Narcissa said, and Andromeda wasn't the least bit surprised. "I'm sure that, when you think about it, you'll realize that you overreacted-"

"I didn't _overreact,_" Andromeda interrupted firmly. "What Hector did to Ted was horrible, humiliating... and completely awful. I don't think I could ever look at him the same way again."

Narcissa snickered, "I don't think _anyone_ will ever look at Tonks the same way again."

Andromeda frowned, "I meant Hector."

"I know; I was making a joke," said Narcissa. "You know, that's when someone tries to lighten the mood by being hilariously funny. And, I might add, that prank _was_ hilariously funny."

"I'm sure Ted didn't think so," Andromeda said dryly.

"So? What's the big deal?" asked Narcissa. "He's a _mudblood_, and a huge loser. I don't know why you're letting it bother you so much."

"It's just the idea, Cissy," Andromeda snapped, beginning to get fed up. "It doesn't matter _who_ Hector did that to. The fact is that he _did _do it. That's what upsets me."

"Fine," Narcissa shrugged. "I don't understand it, but if that's how you feel, _I'm_ not going to be able to convince you otherwise. Where'd the cat come from? I don't think I've seen it around here before…"

"It's mine, I guess," Andromeda said, smiling at the tiny animal. "It was a gift from my… from a friend."

"It's really cute," Narcissa said, smiling as she played with the kitten. Andromeda was relieved that she didn't question further. "What's its name?"

"Ribbon," said Andromeda. "I've decided to call her Ribbon."

"Because she's wearing a ribbon?" Narcissa inquired. "You're very creative, aren't you?"

"Oh yes," said Andromeda. "I really am."

"I have to get going," Narcissa said suddenly, standing up so quickly that she startled both Ribbon and Andromeda. "Lucius wanted to go for a moonlit walk this evening."

"Put your boots on before you leave," Andromeda warned as her sister skipped out of the room. "It's cold outside!"

Andromeda couldn't be sure if Narcissa heard her or not. Feeling exhausted from the conversation, she collapsed onto her bed, staring up at the star-covered canopy above her. She felt Ribbon pawing at her long, tangled hair.

"I don't understand what goes through Cissy's head sometimes," she sighed. "The way she talks, it sounds like Hector didn't deserve to get in trouble for what he did. I mean, mudblood or not; rules are rules, right?"

When Ribbon didn't say anything, Andromeda continued, "And it's one thing to be proud of your blood status – being of pure blood is a _very_ rare thing these days – but… Oh, look at me! I'm talking to a _cat_…"

Andromeda sat up again, looking over at the vase of roses on the vanity she shared with the other girls in the dormitory. She caught a glimpse of her reflection; her hair was tousled where Ribbon had been playing with it.

"If I leave now, I think I can make it up to the third floor on time," she said, throwing her messy hair into a pony tail before she departed.

Her resolve wavered more and more as she neared the classroom – if her mother ever found out about this, Andromeda would never hear the end of it. Was it really worth another Howler?

She stood in front of the door for several moments, staring at the handle while she replayed her mother's message and her conversation with Narcissa in her head. Her dark eyebrows furrowed with rebellious determination as she reached for the knob and pushed the door open.

The room was, to Andromeda's surprise, quite crowded. All of the desks were full, and about a dozen extra chairs had been brought in to accommodate all the the extra people. A large, white sheet was draped behind the podium, which was covered by a strange, bronze-colored contraption – the projector.

Andromeda spied Arthur's bright red head right away, and he noticed her seconds later. He left his girlfriend – a pretty, full-figured girl named Molly Prewett – to meet her at the door.

"You came after all!" he said, greeting her with a broad smile. "Come, sit down! We saved you a seat…"

"Um, alright…" Andromeda said, following Arthur to the front of the room. She recognized a few other people, and even waved to her friend Eldred Worple as she weaved through the throng.

Ted's face seemed to come alive as he saw them approach, and he patted the empty chair between Molly and himself eagerly, indicating that this was where Andromeda was to sit. Not seeing any other option, Andromeda sat down, smiling back as best as she could.

"I'm so glad you showed up," he said, running his hand through his shaggy blond hair.

"Yes," said Molly, sounding just a tad pretentious. "That's all he's been talking about all day."

"Hey, Molly; shut up." Ted hissed at her, though he was smiling as he said it. "But really, Andromeda, we're happy to have you."

"Alright!" Arthur called out as he approached the front of the room. "Settle down, everyone! We're about to begin!"

Much to Andromeda's surprise, the tiny mass of people obeyed, and the room quieted instantly. All eyes were on Arthur.

"Thank you," he said, adjusting his glasses. "As you know, I am Arthur Weasley, president of the Muggle Club; the only organization at Hogwarts dedicated to exploring the fascinating games and hobbies of non-wizarding people."

_Muggle Club?_ Andromeda thought, gulping while the rest of the room applauded. _Oh Merlin, what have I gotten myself in to?_

"And this is my second in command; vice president Theodore Tonks," Arthur said, nodding towards Ted, who waved at the crowd as they applauded him. "Fabian Prewett – who could not be with us tonight – serves as secretary, and Emmeline Vance has been elected treasurer as of January."

"We don't even have any money," Ted whispered to Andromeda. "And we don't really do anything worth taking notes over, either. The offices are just for fun."

"Oh, I see…" she said nervously.

"We have a new member joining us today," Arthur continued. "Andromeda, please stand up and introduce yourself to everyone."

"Oh, no," she said, feeling her face flush as she slowly stood up. "I'm not a new… I'm just here because…"

The group began to whisper amongst themselves. Their voices all collected together to form one inaudible noise, but Andromeda distinctly heard the words 'Head Girl' and 'Slytherin' several times. Some of them were even glaring at her.

"Hey, quiet down!" Ted barked, and again she was surprised that the group listened. Obviously, the offices weren't just for fun; these people seemed to have _some_ level of respect for Ted and Arthur.

"Andromeda," she said at last. "My n-name is Andromeda Black. Thank you for allowing me to join you this evening."

Arthur grinned at her, "And we're all very happy to have you with us; _aren't we_?"

There were a few mumbled, 'yeah's, and a 'welcome!' or two, and a couple of people – Ted and Arthur included – even applauded for her as she sat back down.

Andromeda buried her face in her hands, "That was brilliant."

"They just don't know you like I do," Ted whispered. "I'm sure they'll come around."

"Alright, let's get on to the main event!" Arthur's voice boomed, once again commanding the attention of the entire room. "I've borrowed this projector from the Muggle Studies classroom, and with it, we shall view a classic muggle film called, _Calsabana!"_

"_Casablanca_," Ted coughed into his hand.

"_Casablanca!_" Arthur repeated, grinning as if he hadn't made a mistake at all. "Gideon, could you please get the lights?"

"I think you'll really like this," Ted said as the lights dimmed, then shut off completely. The projector quickly switched on, and the black-and-white images dimly illuminated all of the faces in the room, whose eyes were focused on the screen with awe. "It's a classic; right up your alley."

"Y-yeah," Andromeda said softly. "It'll be great…"


	3. Chapter 3

By Potions class on Tuesday afternoon, most of the school already knew about Andromeda's accidental meeting with the Muggle Club. At lunch, she found herself on the receiving end of her sister's cold shoulder, but even that was kind compared to the treatment she was receiving from the rest of the Slytherin table. They sneered at her, and called her mudblood-lover until she thought she would burst. When she arrived at Professor Slughorn's classroom, she found that a rather large stack of books was occupying her usual seat at the Slytherin table.

"Fine," she snapped, turning up her nose at them. "I hope you have fun struggling through the lesson without me."

"I think we'll be just fine, mudblood-lover," Mulciber jeered. An outsider never would have guessed that, only weeks ago, he and Andromeda would have been holding hands under that table while they worked.

"I'm not a…" Andromeda trailed off, her ears glowing bright red as she marched over to an empty table, slamming her bag down before she began to unpack her books. Her gaze softened when she saw the latest gift from her secret admirer; a handmade card, which she had tucked into her bag that morning. In retrospect, she was very glad that she had done so; seeing that card kept her spirits up.

She felt a light tap on her shoulder, and Andromeda spun around quickly, expecting to find a fellow Slytherin behind her, armed with another nasty remark.

"What?!" she snarled, feeling extremely guilty when she realized that it was only Molly Prewett. Andromeda felt extremely embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Prewett. I thought you might be… Er, hi there."

"Hello," Molly said, sounding nervous despite her pleasant smile. "I noticed that you were sitting here by yourself… And well, my friends and I… we thought that you'd rather sit with us instead."

Andromeda swallowed, "You don't have to do tha-"

"I want you to come sit with us," she said firmly, and Andromeda got the impression that the other girl might bite her if she didn't do as she was told. A bit reluctantly, Andromeda gathered up her things and joined Molly at her table full of Gryffindor girls.

"This is Phoebe McKinnon and Hestia Jones," Molly said, pointing to each girl respectively. "Girls, this is Andromeda Black."

"Hello," Phoebe said politely.

"Hey," Hestia greeted, not looking up from the book she was reading.

"Come on, sit down!" Molly said, practically shoving Andromeda into her seat before she pulled up her own chair.

"Um… thank you," Andromeda said, tugging her hair back behind her ears. "For letting me sit here."

"You're welcome," Phoebe said shyly. The McKinnons were a relatively powerful wizarding family, despite consisting of mostly half-bloods, but looking at Phoebe – with her large, timid eyes and swirly cinnamon hair - no one would ever have guessed it.

Hestia only shrugged, "It wasn't my idea."

"Please don't be like that," Molly begged her friend.

"Well, how do you want me to be, Molly?" Hestia asked, her spiky black hair giving her an angry, cactus-like appearance. "She's a bloody _Slytherin_."

"And she's also my friend," Molly said firmly.

"She is?" the two girls said, exchanging a surprised glance.

Andromeda blinked, "I am?"

"Aren't you?" asked Molly. Her rigid, angry expression had melted into a gloomy one in a matter of seconds.

"Alright class, let's get started," Professor Slughorn said, taking his usual place at the front of the room. He looked a bit puzzled when he spotted Andromeda outside of her comfort zone, but quickly zoomed into his opening lecture. Everyone whipped out a piece of parchment to take some quick notes – occasionally, Slughorn would leave some sort of cryptic hint about the potion he was having them brew in his opening remarks – but instead of searching for the hidden meaning behind the professor's comments, Andromeda scrawled a note onto her parchment:

_I'm sorry – I shouldn't have been so hesitant, especially after you asked me to sit with you, despite your friends' wishes. I'd consider it an honor to call you my friend._

Andromeda slipped Molly the note as soon as Slughorn had stepped off his soap box, while the class had collapsed into its usual state of chaos while each group scrambled to retrieve everything they needed. Molly skimmed the note quickly, giving Andromeda's hand a brief squeeze when she was finished.

"It's quite alright," she said happily. "And don't worry about those two."

"Don't worry what?" Hestia demanded. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Molly said absently. "Is Phoebe getting the supplies?"

"Already been got," Phoebe said as she returned to the table, setting the ingredients on the table in an unorganized fashion. Her eyes flickered to the heart-shaped card on top of Andromeda's book. "What's that?"

"I got that this morning," Andromeda confessed, feeling her cheeks warm up as she attempted to put Phoebe's vials in some sort of understandable order. "It's from a secret admirer."

"Awww, how sweet," Hestia said, with only a tiny hint of sarcasm.

"I didn't know you had a secret admirer," Molly said, grinning in a way that made Andromeda think otherwise. "Any guesses as to who it might be?"

"No," Andromeda sighed. "But they've been sending me gifts; on Sunday morning, I got a vase of pink roses, and later that afternoon I got a kitten. Then this morning, I found this card on my bedside table."

"That's so romantic," Phoebe said dreamily as she lit the fire.

"What does the card say?" Hestia asked, causing the other three girls to look at her with surprise. She actually sounded genuinely interested. "Do you mind if we read it?"

"No, I don't mind at all," she said, still a little dazed as she handed the card around. Andromeda was relieved when the fragile, construction paper creation was back in her delicate hands, and she found herself reading the message for perhaps the hundredth time that day:

_Dear Andromeda,_

_I've noticed the treatment that you've been receiving lately, and it isn't the least bit fair. But keep your chin up; you are a gorgeous, talented young witch, and there are a lot of people who really care about you!_

_Love,  
Your Secret Admirer_

Whether or not the writer of the note had intended to do so, this card had given Andromeda more clues than any of the other notes and gifts. It was the word _love_ that stuck out; that made her heart flutter with joy when she read the card.

There were many types of love, Andromeda knew. There were friendship type loves, as well as the type of love given by a family member. However, most of her friends weren't speaking to her. Neither was her sister, and she couldn't imagine another immediate family member sending such a card. This lead Andromeda to conclude that when the secret admirer wrote the word _love_, they were referring to romantic-love.

However, the way the words were scrawled in purple crayon on a heart-shaped piece of construction paper also suggested that the card was crafted by a younger student – or even a five year old - but Andromeda chose to ignore that possibility for the time being.

"That's so romantic," Phoebe said, smiling warmly.

"It sounds kinda corny to me," Hestia said, her sharp sarcasm returning. "Hey, are you sure the burner is turned up high enough?"

"Turn the flame up a bit more," Andromeda said, double checking the book to make sure she was correct. "And then add the Sneezewort once it starts boiling."

Hestia shrugged, "Sure, whatever. You always have perfect marks in this class, so I'm going to assume you know what you're talking about."

Andromeda smirked, stealing a peek at the Slytherin table. Sure enough, they appeared to be arguing over what they should do next.

_That'll teach them to call me a mudblood-lover,_ she thought, exchanging her smug-smile for a more gentle one as she returned her attention to the Gryffindor girls.

"So, Prewett," said Andromeda. "Do you and Arthur have anything special planned for Valentine's Day?"

"As a matter of fact, we do," she said, not elaborating further.

"You two are so cute," Phoebe said, giggling a little. "How about you, Hestia?"

"Molly's idiot brother asked if he could accompany me on the Hogsmeade trip," she answered.

"If my brother's such an idiot, why did you agree to go with him?" Molly asked, crossing her arms.

"He's annoying as hell, but I never said he wasn't completely gorgeous," said Hestia. When Molly shivered, Hestia only managed to look more triumphant. "Hey, you asked."

Molly rolled her eyes, "Speaking of gorgeous, you know who's really coming out of puberty quite nicely?"

"Who?" Phoebe asked as she added the Sneezewort to their boiling concoction. Andromeda wasn't sure if there was quite enough – since the potion was more of a lavender color than the 'warm purple' the textbook described – but she decided not to mention it. There was a chance that she would be sitting at this table for the remainder of the term, and she didn't want to start things off by making the other girls think she was some kind of busybody.

One end of Molly's mouth curved upwards, as if triggered by an invisible string, "That Ted Tonks."

"Clever use of alliteration," Hestia remarked offhandedly.

Andromeda wrinkled her nose, "You can't be serious…"

"I _am_ serious," she said, seeming offended that anyone would think otherwise. "He's actually pretty handsome, if you look at him the right way."

_She is dating Arthur,_ Andromeda reminded herself. _Prewett must have a thing for dorky guys._

"But he's just so… lanky," said Andromeda. "And he's such a geek-"

"And he's also a really sweet guy," Molly interrupted, furrowing her red eyebrows with frustration. "Any girl would be lucky to end up with Ted."

"Yeah, if you like pimples and glasses," Hestia teased, holding her hands up to her face, curling her fingers around her eyes to create the illusion that she was wearing glasses.

Andromeda giggled, "You look just like him."

Molly grunted with disgust, "You're impossible!"

"Me or her?" Andromeda asked, still laughing. She didn't know why she found the joke so funny, but now that she'd started laughing, she couldn't stop.

"Both of you," Molly said, turning up her rosy-red nose as she reached over to stir their potion.

They carried on like that for the rest of the class period; Andromeda laughed until her side hurt. The potion didn't come out exactly right, but no one seemed to mind – and Andromeda was surprised to find that she didn't, either.

_It's just one less-than-perfect grade,_ she told herself as she returned to her dormitory, wanting to check on Ribbon and grab some homework before she went down to dinner. The N.E.W.T.s were only months away, and Andromeda had to juggle Head Girl duties as well as studying for the most important tests she would ever take. She had vowed to go to the library every chance she got.

But once again, Andromeda entered her room only to be distracted by yet another gift from her secret admirer.

This one was sitting on her pillow – next to a sleeping Ribbon – with another card attached. Careful not to wake the slumbering kitten, Andromeda lifted the tiny white box off of her pillow and sat down on the floor next to her bed, her heart thumping wildly as she looked over the card. She felt relieved when she noticed that this one seemed a bit more professional. A simple silver outline of a pair of owls decorated the front, snuggling close together in a loving way. The message was also written in silver, and the handwriting was much neater this time. Andromeda had no trouble reading it:

_Andromeda,_

_While I'm not quite ready to reveal myself to you, I think I would like to give you some clues about my true identity._

_1. We were prefects together._

2. My favorite food in the entire world is fudge. Without nuts.

3. Whenever I see you, I can hear my heart beating in my ears and my palms start sweating. I've never felt this way about anyone before.

_I'm sorry, but that's all I'm going to tell you today. Enjoy the gift._

_Love,  
Your S.A._

Andromeda's smile grew as she read the note; by the end of it, she almost felt like crying. It was almost painful to put the card aside and open the box, but when all was said and done, Andromeda was glad she did. Inside, nestled between a few sheets of pink tissue paper, was a silver charm bracelet.

Gently, as if it were the most fragile object she had ever held, Andromeda lifted the bracelet, examining each charm carefully. There were five total, and each seemed to have so much significance that the secret admirer had to have picked them out personally. The first one was obvious; the letter A, for _Andromeda._ Next was a snake, made of some strange, green metal. A snake was Slytherin's mascot, and – up until that day, at least – Andromeda had always been proud of her house and her heritage. Then there was a tiny crayon; in pink, which, as her secret admirer had already pointed out, was her favorite color. The next charm was a tiny gold star, which immediately reminded her of her namesake, the Andromeda Galaxy. The final charm was a simple, silver heart, with a tiny pink stone set in one corner, and the words _I love you_ etched in the center.

It was childish, really; she was much too old for things like charm bracelets. But never the less, Andromeda found herself holding the trinket close to her heart, wondering who this wonderful person could possibly be.


	4. Chapter 4

_If anything good has come out of this whole mess, it's that I can finally study in peace,_ Andromeda thought. Her little corner of the library was as quiet as death; only the loudest of sounds managed to make their way over to her, and by then they were soft and inaudible.

Of course, schoolwork wasn't the only thing on Andromeda's mind. Every time she caught a glimpse of the charm bracelet on her left wrist, her mind traveled back to her secret admirer. Now when she thought about him, she no longer played the guessing game, but instead created her own image of what he was like. She felt silly doing so – that was something goofy thirteen year old girls did – but she couldn't help herself.

_I bet he's really smart,_ she said in her head. _With wavy black hair and handsome gray eyes – No! Blue eyes, like the sea… Oh, what am I thinking? Who cares what color his eyes are? I'm sure I'll like them, no matter what color they are._

"I feel so silly…" Andromeda said to herself.

"You look silly," Ted Tonks said, smirking as he took the empty seat in front of her. "Sitting in a corner all alone, muttering to yourself... People are going to start thinking you're a nutter."

Andromeda felt her face flush, "I'm not talking to… Hi, Ted. How are you today?"

He snickered, "I'm doing alright. You?"

"I'm fine," Andromeda said, putting her quill down. She was ready for a break, even though she had only been half-working in the first place.

"You seemed pretty happy just now," said Ted. "Like you were thinking of something you really care about."

"I was thinking about studying for the Transfiguration exam," she said simply.

"Mmmmhm, all girls look like this when they're thinking about McGonagall's class," Ted said, resting his chin in his hands and staring into space dreamily. He fluttered his eyelashes several times and let out a girly sigh.

Andromeda glared at him, feeling her cheeks grow warmer, "I don't look anything like that."

"No, you're right," said Ted. "It's a lot cuter when you do it, I'm sure."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh yes; with three hours of sleep and unwashed hair, I'm sure I'm the epitome of feminine beauty."

Ted snickered, "So, what _were_ you thinking about? If you don't mind me asking…"

_I can trust Ted,_ Andromeda decided. "My secret admirer."

"Ohhhhhh," Ted said, shooting her a wink. "How's that going, by the way?"

"I still don't know who he is," she sighed. "But his gifts are getting more and more romantic."

"Like how?" he asked.

Andromeda held out her wrist, allowing Ted to examine the bracelet, "He sent me this yesterday. Isn't it beautiful?"

Ted grinned, "It suits you."

"Thanks," Andromeda said, graciously accepting the compliment as her arm retreated back under the table.

"So, how do you feel about this guy?" he asked. "I mean, you really don't know much about him, do you?"

"Not really," she admitted. Somehow, saying it aloud made her feel even sillier about her fantasies. "He hasn't really told me much about himself; just that he's a prefect and he likes fudge."

"But the prefect thing really narrows it down, right?" said Ted. "There are only eight of us in our year."

"But there are eight prefects _every_ year," said Andromeda. "And the clue was worded like, _we were both prefects at the same time,_ or something like that. Which means it could be anyone who served as a prefect from our fifth year up until now. I did the math; there are more than thirty people to chose from, if I count female students as well."

"Hot," Ted said, unable to hide his smirk.

Andromeda rolled her eyes, "And it's been so long since I've seen some of the graduated-prefects; I don't remember them very well."

"What are you going to do if it's one of the fifth years?" Ted questioned.

"Cry, probably," Andromeda snorted.

"Over just two years of age difference? That's cold," Ted teased. "I thought you were really into this guy."

"I am, I guess…" said Andromeda. "And now that you mention it, two years isn't a very long time, in the long run… I just… I don't know. I usually go for the more mature, scruffy guys, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Ted said, with a tone that suggested he had heard this story a million times before. "Like Mulciber, right?"

Andromeda groaned, her forehead colliding with the top of the table, "Don't bring him up, _please_. That's the last thing I want to think about right before Valentine's Day."

Ted's face fell, "You don't still have feelings for him, do you?"

"Of course I don't," she said, having to fight back a gag. "At this point, I don't even remember what I saw in him in the first place. It's just… the idea of spending Valentine's Day alone isn't very appealing."

He shrugged, "I do it every year."

Andromeda winced, getting the feeling that she'd hit a sore spot. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean-"

"Naaah, don't worry about it," Ted said, recovering quickly. "Once you get used to it, it isn't so bad. I guess I'll let you get back to your work now."

"Oh, yes…" Andromeda said, looking down at her schoolwork solemnly. "I suppose I should get this finished, huh?"

"And don't forget, we have duty tomorrow night," Ted reminded her. "We have to meet up at eleven."

"Right," Andromeda groaned. "I'll be there."

"See you later," Ted said, giving her a tiny wave before he took off, shoving his hands in his pockets as he slumped out of the library.

"Bye…" Andromeda said, so softly that she doubted Ted heard her. When he looked over his shoulder to give her a final glance, she felt her heart leap into her throat.

Andromeda forced her attention back onto the parchment in front of her, feeling as though all of the blood in her body was rushing to her face.

_That was so weird,_ she thought, wiping a bead of sweat off of her forehead. _My heart jumped like that when Mulciber first began courting me…_

_No!_ her mind screamed, and she smashed her fist on the table for emphasis. _I am not falling for Ted Tonks! That's disgusting! I'm just a little upset about spending Valentine's Day alone. Besides, I have my secret admirer…_

"Can I sit here?" a tiny voice asked. Andromeda pulled herself out of her inner world and found fellow Slytherin Severus Snape – an intelligent, yet somewhat mean first year – standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I was spacing out," she said. "What can I help you with?"

"I asked if I could sit here," the boy said, sounding mildly irritated. "I can't focus in the common room; they're all too loud."

"Um… yeah, sure," said Andromeda. "Pull up a seat."

"Thank you," he said, as though politeness was a chore for him. He sat his book down on the table and slid into the chair Ted had occupied seconds before. "I won't be a bother."

"I know; you're a good kid," said Andromeda. "And if you want some help, feel free to ask."

Snape nodded, "Hey, Black?"

"Yes?" Andromeda whispered.

"About mudblo-… I mean, muggle-borns," he gulped, turning his head to the side, as if he was afraid to make eye contact with her. "I don't think they're _all_ bad…"

"I think you're right, Severus," Andromeda said, smiling a little. "I don't think they're all bad, either."

"But… don't tell Malfoy," he added. "Please? I don't want him to get mad at me."

"Don't worry," she said, winking at him. "That can be our little secret."


	5. Chapter 5

_Andromeda,_

_Maybe it's just the season, but lately I can't get you out of my mind. I hear your voice ringing in my ears, and it all but drowns out any other noise. Not that I mind; your voice is the most beautiful voice I've ever heard in my entire life. When I sleep – on the rare occasion I'm not up late thinking about you – I dream about kissing your soft mouth and running my fingers through your thick brown hair._

_The thought of revealing myself to you makes me so nervous that my whole body begins to quiver; your rejection would shatter my heart. All the same, I can't think of a better time to properly confess my feelings for you. Please meet me behind Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop on Valentine's day. I'm the one that looks like me._

_Love,  
Your Secret Admirer_

Andromeda felt goofy reading that letter so many times, but she couldn't keep her eyes off of the parchment as she headed towards the fourth floor corridor, where she was meeting Ted for their rounds. She had found it that morning, pinned to a fuzzy heart-shaped pillow that she – reluctantly – left on her bed.

_We're finally going to meet,_ she thought. _Finally, I'll get to meet the person who has made these last several days bearable…_

"Hey Andromeda," Eldred Worple said, looking and sounding quite sinister as he stepped into the light. Eldred was a fifth year prefect, and Andromeda found that she enjoyed his company. He always had an intriguing, dark take on everything that she found fascinating (though a little creepy).

"What's that you have there?" Marlene McKinnon – Eldred's fellow Ravenclaw prefect – asked Andromeda from behind. She jumped with surprise. Marlene was the younger cousin of Molly's friend Phoebe, and was one of the cleverest young witches Andromeda had ever met.

Andromeda held the note over her heart, "You two are so weird sometimes…"

"It looks like a love letter to me," Marlene teased, answering her own question. "Doesn't it look like a love letter to you, Eldred?"

Eldred scratched his chin, "The light blush on the lady's face seems to suggest so."

Before she could respond, Ted Tonks rounded the corner, as if he somehow sensed the need of a subject change. If it weren't for his Head Boy badge, no one could guess that he held such a dignified position. Instead of the black dress pants that were part of the male Hogwarts uniform, Ted wore faded jeans with holes in the knees. He only had on one of his sneakers; his left foot was covered only by a dirty tan sock. His yellow and black tie was knotted instead of tied properly, and the ends of his white button-up shirt stuck out of his sweater vest sloppily.

"Cadets," he said, clearing his throat. "Are you harassing Miss Black?"

"No, sir!" Marlene said. "We were simply curious about the contents of her letter, sir!"

"She looks awful suspicious," Eldred added. "Wandering around in the middle of the night."

"Miss Black is my partner during this shift," said Ted. "The two of you know that by now, surely."

"It must have slipped our minds, sir," said Eldred.

"We'll try to be more careful in the future, sir," said Marlene.

Andromeda rolled her eyes, _Sometimes I feel like none of the prefects take their duties seriously…_

Ted snickered, "Alright, you two are hereby relieved of your duties. Well, for the evening at least. Now, get off to bed."

"Yes, sir!" they said, saluting Ted before they ran off, giggling and whispering to themselves.

"Oh, those two," Ted said, smiling at them fondly until they disappeared from sight. "I loves them likes my own kin, I do. Oh! Andromeda, I have some news for you!"

"W-what is it?" she asked.

Ted leaned closer, cupping his hand over her ear as he whispered, "Arthur is going to propose to Molly."

Andromeda gasped, "Seriously?"

He nodded, "Yup! He wrote a letter to her parents asking for permission, and they sent her grandmother's wedding ring with their reply. He's going to ask her on Valentine's Day."

"I'm so happy for them," Andromeda said, smiling. "I mean, they are a bit… young. But those two just seem to fit so well together, you know?"

"Yeah," Ted said, nodding eagerly. "They really do."

"We should probably start our rounds," said Andromeda. "Don't you think?"

"Oh, of course," Ted said, leading the way down the corridor.

Andromeda cleared her throat, "I don't mean to pry, but… what on earth happened to your shoe?"

"My shoe?" Ted questioned, looking down at his feet. He looked surprised, as if he had noticed one of his shoes was missing. "Oh, would you look at that. I must have forgotten it."

Andromeda couldn't help but chuckle at his misfortune, "You can be so scatterbrained sometimes. It's a wonder you can find anything."

"I guess," he shrugged, shoving his large, bony hands into his pockets. "But I've got enough book smarts to make up for that."

_He _is_ head boy,_ Andromeda reminded herself. _I guess I'm just so used to thinking of him as Ted Tonks: The Bumbling Idiot… I've never really thought of him as being intelligent…_

"So, any plans for Valentine's Day?" Ted asked.

"My secret admirer wants to meet me," Andromeda squealed, showing Ted her letter. "Isn't that exciting? I'm finally going to meet him!"

Ted read over the letter, smirking as he handed it back to her. Andromeda folded it carefully and slid it into her robe, waiting for his response.

"Well?" she said finally. "What do you think?"

"Do you really want to know what I think?" Ted asked.

She nodded, "Of course; I wouldn't have asked if I didn't respect your opinion."

Ted sighed, running his fingers through his unbrushed hair, "It's just… You really like this guy, right?"

"Of course I do," said Andromeda.

"But do you really _know _anything about him?" he asked. "Other than that he's sort of stalking you?"

"He isn't stalking me…" she said, reverting her gaze to the floor.

"You didn't answer my question," Ted said sternly. "Do you actually know anything about him? Or do you just like him because he's been sending you love letters?"

"Don't say it like that," Andromeda said, wrapping her arms around herself. She knew that Ted was right; she really didn't know anything about her secret admirer. Why hadn't she realized that sooner? It had been the _attention_ she had fallen in love with, not a real, breathing human being. Was she really that vain?

"Andromeda, I'm sorry…" Ted said, biting down on his lip. He reached his arm out for her, but she pushed him away before he got close enough to embrace her.

She regretted it instantly; Ted looked as though he was about to cry.

He gulped, "Andromeda… I know I'm nothing special, and I know I'll never be good enough for you-"

"Ted, _please_," she begged, on the verge of tears herself. "Don't-"

"_Ted, please! Don't!_" Mulciber cold, familiar voice mocked, sending shivers down Andromeda's spine. She and Ted slowly turned around, finding themselves face-to-face with a nasty looking gang of Slytherins. Narcissa and her boyfriend Lucius Malfoy were among them, as was the Snape boy.

Andromeda felt her stomach turn over. These people were supposed to be her friends, yet here they were, wands out and ready to attack. All because of her friendship with Ted Tonks.

_See Ted?_ She thought. _This is why I'll never see you that way. I belong with _them,_ and you don't._

_No,_ she thought suddenly. _I don't want to be like them! I don't!_

_But if I don't belong with them, who do I belong with?_

"Go back to the common room," Andromeda said, her voice quivering as she pointed to the nearby stairway that lead to the dungeons. "Or we'll give you all detention."

"I'd like to see you try," Mulciber said, flicking his wand in Ted's direction. Andromeda let out a gasp as Ted's pants fell down, revealing a pair of black-and-gold striped boxer shorts.

"S-stop that," Andromeda stammered. "What did he ever do to you?"

"He was born," Mulciber said simply. "Narcissa, would you like a turn? I feel as if you've been left out lately."

"My pleasure," Narcissa said, and Andromeda felt her heart turn to stone as she watched her sister point her wand at Ted, "Wingard-"

"Stop it!" Andromeda shrieked, waving her own wand at Narcissa. The silent spell turned the girl stiff and ridged, and she fell to the ground with a _thud._ Malfoy was next, and then Mulciber. The younger members of the gang all scattered before Andromeda had a chance to paralyze them, and she had no intention of chasing after them either.

"Wow…" Ted said, adjusting his glasses with amazement. His face turned a violent shade of red when he realized that his pants were still around his ankles, and he fumbled as he quickly pulled them up. "Andromeda, thank you so-"

"Stop it!" Andromeda shrieked. Ted winced, as if he expected to be immobilized as well. She felt a small wave of pity wash over her; she hadn't meant to frighten ted. Yet the words kept coming out of her mouth uncontrollably, from some place inside of her that she couldn't control. "Stop it, Ted. Just leave me alone, okay?"

"Andromeda…" he said, reaching out to grab her hand. She jumped at the contact, not expecting his hands to be so… _warm_. "Look, I-"

"Stop it…" she whimpered, yanking her hand away from him. "I c-can't, I… My secret admirer, ya know? And… it just…"

"Wouldn't work out," Ted finished for her. "Yeah, I know. I figured you wouldn't be interested. I mean, what would _you_ want with a guy like me?"

She wanted to tell Ted that there was nothing wrong with him; it wasn't a matter of him not being good enough. It was a matter of how she felt, and she just didn't feel that way about Ted Tonks. But instead, she ran back to the dungeons, leaving Ted to finish the rounds – and to deal with the three paralyzed Slytherins – by himself.

She kept running until she was back in her bedroom, and was quite thankful when she found that none of the other girls were present. That had become the norm for most seventh years; staying in the library for as long as possible to cram for the upcoming N.E.W.T.s. Comfortable with her privacy, Andromeda collapsed onto her bed and wept.

_What would mother think if she saw me like this?_ Andromeda thought as she buried her face into the heart-shaped pillow. It smelled familiar, but she wasn't quite sure _why_…

"I feel terrible," she told Ribbon, who was curled up on the edge of the bed. "But what was I supposed to tell him? It would be cruel to tell Ted I love him when I _don't_…"

Andromeda closed her eyes, focusing on the one thing that made her happy; her secret admirer. If only he could be there for her, he would have understood.

"But would he, really?" she asked herself, opening her eyes quickly.

Ted's words echoed in her head, "_Do you really know anything about him?"_

"He's right," she mumbled. "Ted was right; I really _don't_ know anything about him at all…"

Once she came to that realization, it was impossible to lose herself in her fantasies. Every time she tried to picture that tall, handsome man she had dreamed up, he refused to appear. He wasn't real – he was too good to be real – and Andromeda knew it.

"I feel so stupid," she groaned, throwing the pillow across the room. "Ted probably thinks I'm an idiot. Hell, _I_ think I'm an idiot! Getting all mushy over some guy I don't even _know…_"

_Poor Ted,_ she thought with a sigh. _Having to spend Valentine's Day all by himself… Maybe, if my secret admirer _does_ turn out to be a creep, we can hang out or something…_

"He's really a nice guy, that Ted Tonks," Andromeda explained to her kitten. "He's really funny; he's always been able to make me laugh. And now that his acne's clearing up, he's not _that_ bad to look at…"

_And his hands are really warm,_ she thought, looking down at her own. If she concentrated, she could still feel his fingers wrapped tightly around hers.

"Gaah, why does it matter to me what his stupid hands feel like?" Andromeda grumbled, rolling onto her back. "Ted Tonks would be a wonderful boyfriend for some other girl, but not for me! It just wouldn't… work…"

_But why wouldn't it work? _

"Because he isn't a pure blood," she answered. "And… because…"

_He really would make a good boyfriend,_ she thought. _And he's always been so nice to me. Even back when I wasn't very nice to him._

"And he doesn't just like me because I'm a Black," Andromeda said, her smile growing. "I'm really comfortable when I'm with Ted. I don't have to act a certain way or worry about him judging me. And he has a really cute smile-"

_Wait,_ she thought, sitting up in bed. _Did I just say something about Ted Tonks was cute?_

"No!" she screamed. "No! I can't be falling for that dork! No way! Not in a million years! He's so…"

Andromeda paused, letting out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. "He's wonderful, Ribbon. He's sweet and funny, and he's kind of cute, too…"

_And he's smart,_ she continued in her head. _I can't believe I was so shallow. I wouldn't blame Ted if he never wanted to see me again._

"But is it worth it?" Andromeda asked herself. "If things do work out between me and Ted – if he'll even talk to me after what just happened – my family will disown me. There's no way they'd understand…"

"I need to sleep on it," she said to her cat. "Yes, that's it. I'm too tired to worry about this now… Maybe it will all make sense by tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

Andromeda still hadn't been able to reach a decision by Valentine's Day, despite the fact that she thought about nothing else. Ever since the idea of dating Ted Tonks had popped into her head, she couldn't seem to make it leave. She was certain that, if she spoke to him, she would remember why she found him so repulsive in the first place.

But Ted avoided her, always vanishing around a corner or darting out of class before she could even tell him _hello._ Her heart felt heavy with regret whenever she saw him. At night, she found that the only way she could fall asleep was by imagining what it might be like to have his pale, thin arms wrapped around her.

_I'll just have to tell my secret admirer that I'm not interested,_ she thought to herself. _And then I'll go find Ted and…_

"What _will_ I say to him?" she asked herself. She had put on one of her nicest dresses – a burgundy thing that rose up to her knees – and the falling snow was seeping into her high-heeled shoes. She pulled her wool coat tightly around her body as she wandered to the back of Madame Puddifoot's Tea Shop.

And there he was, leaning against the wall with a bouquet of pink roses in his hand. He had slicked back his messy blond hair, but it was already starting to stick out. He looked as though he had tried to put some effort into his outfit; there was a suit jacket over his usual jeans and t-shirt, and today he was wearing both shoes.

"T-ted?" Andromeda stammered, hardly able to believe her eyes.

His head jerked up, "Hmm? Oh…"

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her smile growing by the second. It seemed too good to be true, and yet…

"It's me," he said quickly. "It's been me all along. I'm you're secret admirer."

_Of course,_ she thought. _How come I didn't see it before? _

"And at first, I thought it was a really good idea," he went on. "I spent all summer working on that charm bracelet, and I spent _ages_ writing those clues."

"They were all very clever," said Andromeda. "I never would have guessed it was you."

"Um, no," said Ted. "I meant that I kept having to rewrite them because my handwriting sucks so much. I didn't think you'd be able to read them at all."

"Oh…"

"Look, I know you're disappointed," he said, turning his head away from her. "I'm really sorry; I shouldn't have even bothered showing up."

Andromeda gulped, "No, Ted-"

"You don't have to say anything, Andromeda," he said. "After this I'll leave you alone, I promise. I'll stop messing with your life and-"

"Ted, shut up," Andromeda said, taking a step forward. He looked mortified as she reached up to grab his face, pulling him into a kiss.

At first, his whole body went stiff, and Andromeda worried that she had made the wrong decision. But after a moment, she heard the roses land in the snow and felt his arms around her waist. There was something messy about the way he kissed, but there was also a sort of tenderness to it. Her heart thumped wildly in her ears, and she thought she could hear Ted's as well. Her whole body felt warm by the time they pulled away.

"Wow," Ted said, sounding breathless as he leaned back against the building, his hands still rested on her hips. "Andromeda… I… wow…"

Andromeda giggled, wiping the saliva off of her chin, "Yeah…"

"I've never done that before," he confessed, a light blush creeping across his cheeks.

"You've never kissed a girl?" Andromeda asked. "Really?"

Ted nodded, "Never. Could you tell?"

"It was a little… sloppy," she admitted.

"I'm sorry," he said, tucking her long hair behind her ear. "I'll try to be more careful next time."

"No, don't say that," Andromeda said, holding herself close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I loved it, Ted. I… I'm so sorry."

He tightened his hold on her, and she felt his chin on top of her head, "You don't have to apologize."

"Yes I do," she said, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. "I was so awful to you. I can't believe you haven't told me to take a hike."

"I could never say something like that to you," Ted said, kissing the tip of her nose before he dabbed her tears away with his fingers. "I… I love you."

"I… I don't think I'm r-ready to say that, just yet," said Andromeda.

"Its fine," he said, smiling with a hint of disappointment. "I don't want you to say something like that if you don't mean it."

"But I have every intention of falling head over heels in love with you, Ted Tonks," she said, gently caressing his face. The areas of his face that weren't covered with acne felt soft under her fingertips. "I like you so much; it just took me a while to realize it. You're the nicest guy I've ever met, and I've decided I don't care what anyone else things. I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't give this a chance."

"I'll take that," he said, leaning forward to kiss her again. This kiss was much slower – gentler – and Andromeda stood on the tips of her toes so Ted wouldn't have to lean down so far. After a few moments, she felt one of Ted's warm, bony hands slip inside her coat before it found a cozy hiding place under her breast.

Andromeda couldn't help but giggle, "Ted, are you trying to feel me up?"

"N-n-no," he stammered, his hands retreating to his sides instantly. His face was glowing red.

"I don't mind, if you do," Andromeda said, feeling her own cheeks start to grow warm.

Ted took a deep breath, his eyebrows furrowing with concentration. Andromeda watched his face curiously, almost jumping when she finally felt his hand cupping her chest.

He exhaled, "Wow…"

_He's such a dork,_ she thought, unable to keep herself from snickering. "Do you like them?"

"Of course," he said frantically. "They're wonderful!"

"Bella always says that they're too big," said Andromeda.

"Too big," Ted snorted, as if it were the most absurd thing he had ever heard. "She's probably just jealous; you're so beautiful… Oh! We should go inside!"

"Do we have to?" Andromeda asked. "Everyone will stare at us…"

"Embarrassed to be seen with me?"

"No!" Andromeda said, hugging him so tightly that she was afraid he might snap in half. "I just… I'm so happy right now, and I don't want _them_ to ruin it…"

"I know, I know," he whispered, kissing the side of her face. "I was just teasing. Don't fret, my love; I've got a surprise waiting for you inside that I think you'll quite enjoy."

"A-alright," Andromeda said as she allowed him to lead her inside the tea shop, through the back door. The door opened to reveal tiny kitchen, where Madame Puddifoot herself was preparing a kettle of water on a small, ancient stove.

"I asked her if we could somehow get a private room," Ted whispered, gently tugging her towards a tiny white door on the left. "I didn't want your friends spoiling our date, either. That is, if you changed your mind about me... Erm, anyway, she agreed to let us use the broom closet."

Andromeda wrinkled her nose, "The broom clos-"

She clamped her mouth shut as soon as Ted opened the door. The closet was small – two chairs and a table just hardly fit – but Andromeda couldn't help but find it romantic, in an odd sort of way. Tiny pink candles levitated around the table, and a cute tea pot sat waiting for them, with two cups to match.

"Ted, this is so sweet," she said, clutching his hand tightly.

He laughed nervously, "I know you deserve better than a closet, but this was all I could come up with."

Andromeda shook her head, "This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me."

Ted gestured to one of the chairs, shutting the door once Andromeda had taken her seat. He had to fold his long, lanky legs up tightly to fit into the space. "Oh, I'm sure Mulciber or one of those other guys could come up with something a lot nicer than this."

"Something more extravagant, maybe," she said. "But you've put your heart into this; into all of the things you've done for me this week."

He smiled, "You really liked all the gifts?"

"Of course," she said, leaning over to pour them each a cup of tea. The amber liquid smelled strongly of honey.

"You're wearing the bracelet," Ted said, pointing to the trinket around her wrist.

"I wear it every day," she said, touching the little charms fondly. "I love it so much."

"And the kitten?" Ted questioned, spilling his tea down the front of his shirt as he attempted to drink it. "Oww, shit! Oh, excuse me-"

"Here, let me get that…" Andromeda said, grabbing her napkin. She tried to reach over and wipe up the mess, but ended up having to crawl up onto the table to do so. She couldn't help but notice that his eyes were flickering back and forth from her face to her breasts, like they couldn't decide which offered a more aesthetically pleasing view.

_Mother would throw a fit if she saw me,_ she thought, smiling at Ted when she was finished. _Crawling across the table like this to wipe up a sloppy mudblood._

"You're not burnt, are you?" she asked, caressing his face again.

"N-no," he stuttered, his eyes darting back up to her face as he adjusted his glasses. "Thank you, Andromeda."

"You're welcome," she said, pressing her lips against his before she sunk back into her chair. She lifted her own cup of tea delicately, savoring the tea as it slowly slid down her throat.

Ted cleared his throat, "You know… when we first met, I didn't like you at all."

Andromeda almost choked. There was the socially awkward Ted Tonks she was used to. "Jee Ted, thanks."

"I just m-meant that I thought you were like all those other pureblood snobs," he said. "But then, when we were both prefects, and I actually _spoke_ to you, I couldn't help but like you. You were so smart, and you were nice, sometimes…"

She chuckled, "Yeah… I didn't like you at first, either. I used to think you were really annoying."

"Yeah," Ted laughed. "I kinda got that feeling. I tried really hard not to like you, because I didn't think you'd ever be interested… But this summer, I got this whole secret-admirer idea. I thought, maybe I could get you to fall for me if you didn't know it was me."

Andromeda ran the tip of her finger around the edge of her cup, "I see…"

He reached across the table and grabbed onto her hand, "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking… that I don't think I've felt this happy in a long time," she replied. "But… I'm scared, too."

"Will your family be upset, when they find out we're together?" he asked nervously.

She nodded, "I might get disowned."

Ted gulped, "Harsh…"

"B-but," Andromeda said, doubting what she was about to say the second it popped into her head. "Times are changing, you know? There aren't a lot of pureblood wizards left. I don't think they'll be happy about it by any means, but maybe… they would at least _understand_."

"Yeah," Ted said, kissing her hand softly. "And if they don't... I'll always be there for you, Andromeda. I'll stay with you for the rest of my life, if you can stand me for that long."

"It'll be tough," Andromeda joked, smirking at Ted from across the table. "But I think I could manage it."


End file.
